Tales of a fractured soul
by hinafanboy08
Summary: when a teenaged loner meets his end, before his time, he gets an interesting offer from a demon who salvages his soul. Yes, it is a selfinsert...and let's face it...getting a new life is a pretty sweet deal! OC/Sheena pairing!


**Tales of a fractured soul**

A Tales of symphonia self insert

I do not own Tales of Symphonia or an other any other tales game. I'm only doing this for fun. Please don't sue me.

Summary: when a teenaged loner meets his end before his time, he gets an interesting offer from a demon who salvages his soul…yes. It's a self insert. Rated for main characters swearing. Mature content in later chapters. OC+Sheena pairing

**Chapter 1: Spiritua's contract**

My name is Kaiden Stryker. I was never a gloomy guy, but today was depressing. I only have a hand full of friends that I still talk to…and they've all got girlfriends! This sucked. I couldn't get a girl if my life depended on it. Not that I wanted to get with any of the girls I knew…they were all much too shallow to be likable anyway. All of 'em want the school quarterback. Dillan Prescot. A world class prick. I hated him.

He was your stereotypical schoolyard asshole. He actually locked me in a dumpster one time! I sat in there for three hours, waiting for…ANYONE…to come along and let me out! Now that we've just graduated, I hear he's going into law enforcement! I weep for the future if an asshole like him actually becomes a cop.

I continued to curse my luck when I turned a corner to hear gunshots. I looked at the building I happened to be passing at the time, to see an armed bank robbery in progress. Oh, fuck me sideways! Three masked robbers were in there. One had a large duffel bag, and the other two had…were those rifles or shotguns? My heart was beating out of control! One of the terrified customers tried to make a break for the door. Right at me!

One of the robbers saw this and readied his weapon. I backed up until my back was touching a large black van, the escape vehicle, no doubt.

-BOOM!-

Blood. That's all I saw. The woman dropped limply as the single shot blew a large chunk out of her torso. Yup, it was definitely a shotgun. The robber looked up at me. "Oh, fuck!" I cursed as he raised the gun once more.

-BOOM!-

The last thing I saw before darkness took my vision completely was the oncoming shot shattering the clear glass door in between me and the shooter…

Pain…it burned through my whole body. My body numb from soreness, I struggled to open my eyes. I couldn't, all I could manage was a pained groan as I sucked in hot damp air. I was in someplace very warm and moist. It felt like a steam room.

I woke up, slowly regaining my vision, to find myself in some sort of cave. How did I get here? I brought a shaky hand to my forehead. I was already sweating from this place. I slowly climbed up, leaning back against the cavern wall, when a sudden voice put me on alert.

"…come to me…come…to my chambers." It was a woman's voice that seemed to come from all directions. It was a sultry voice with a seductive tone.

I didn't want to get caught up in something I was going to regret, but I didn't have any other choice. "Where are you?" I called out, earning an impish giggle from the disembodied female voice.

"…Fallow the sense of dread in the pit of your stomach" she replied, no longer did she sound sexy and inviting. Now she sounded cruel and sadistic. "when you feel as though you've no hope left…then you will find me." The dread already beginning to build, I walked along the wall of the cavern in god knows what direction.

"…great…" I hissed. "…first I get shot…now this…" I cursed under my breath as I wiped my forehead for the fourth time in ten minutes since starting this little trek. "This is NOT my day…" the sound of sickly groaning drew my attention ahead of me, down a dark corridor. Either some one was in trouble…or I was about to live a zombie flick.

That voice spoke again. "Teehee, oh I wonder how long you'll last…perhaps that corridor is as far as you make it. Only one way to find out, and there's no other path to take." Okay, I get it…this is a game of survival…and I'm meant to see how long I can last against what ever is hiding in this cave. That means that there IS something waiting for me in there.

I continued cautiously. Muscles tensed, sweat on my palms, and heart beating out of control. No doubt I was expected to take on what ever was in that darkness with my bare hands…Peachy frickin keen. A human shape came into view as the groaning got louder and clearer. Yup…zombies…fuck me sideways… "Shit! Zombies with weapons?" I cursed as I realized that the stumbling undead before me carried a Japanese dagger in each hand.

The creature's head snapped in my direction. Its hollow eye sockets lit up ominously with a bright red glow. The zombie charged at me with surprising speed, a sickly roar bellowed from its decaying throat. The zombie looked like the zombies from that X box game, _Fable._ The undead monster raised both weapons above its head for a downward slash. I easily sidestepped the assault, silently thanking whoever spawned this thing that it was so clumsy. My celebration was short lived as it quickly spun on its heel for another attack.

"Okay…" I said to no one in particular. "…just gotta wait for another over head strike…" I dodged another clumsy attack. I smirked as he raised his weapons once more. I charged forward with a heel kick to its torso, knocking it down. While it was down, I stomped on its disgusting, boney hand, causing it to release its weapon.

I picked up the dropped weapon before the woman's voice spoke again. "Ooooohhhh…not bad, why don't you try and get the other one?" she taunted. Almost as if her words triggered some kind of rejuvenation for this creature, it suddenly became very coordinated and skilful.

"Oh SHIT!" I screamed as I barely dodged a flurry of slashes and stabs. The zombie snarled viciously all the while. It jumped into the air and spun, nailing me in the chest with a spin kick. I spun on my heel dazed and disoriented. All I heard was the undead uttering raspy laughter as I regained my bearings. I looked up at him again to find my dagger was no longer in my hand. I had dropped it in my confusion.

As my mind raced, I saw his face, and everything froze. I stood face-to-face with an exact look alike of myself. His hair was longer, and there was a scar or two…but that was definitely my face. My own face, grinned sadistically back at me. It was truly frightening. His style of dress reflected some kind of medieval bandit. Grubby old pants, worn boots, and what looked like an old jacket with the sleeves torn off, and worn leather belts across his torso and waist, to hold the holsters of his daggers, no doubt.

The look-a-like collected both of his weapons and charged once more. I ran for all I was worth, trying to avoid my homicidal twin. His deranged maniacal laughter echoed through the cavern as I ran.

My heart was pounding out of my chest. My lungs burned from how hard I was breathing. Hey, I wasn't morbidly obese, but I wasn't a paragon of athleticism either. I was way out of shape now that I wasn't busting my ass to exhaustion on a daily basis for the school football team. I had played as a linebacker, as I was one of the faster players who relied on finesse rather then brute strength…and yet here I was now, running for my life from my evil twin; who seemed to have trained in martial arts his whole life! My only hope was to shake him somehow, and then ambush him.

I had to get to a high ground of some kind, so I continued to run. Suddenly the girl's voice spoke again. "You're lasting longer then I thought…but, you'll need to strike a fatal blow if you are to proceed and collect your reward." Dammit…I hate this place. I ran and ran until I came to a luxurious looking room. A bed that looked fit for royalty, a nicely carpeted floor, fancy looking portraits and statues were located about the room as well. It seemed to have an upper level too. Perfect!

I sprinted up the stairs, my legs burning from exhaustion. The adrenaline was starting to wear off, so I had to finish my evil twin quickly. He was still licking his lips in anticipation. He was toying with me. It was like he was raised to do this! "…he was…" I jumped as the female voice sounded suddenly, from right behind me. "He is a bandit from a seaside port town called Palmacosta." She continued.

"…Palmacosta…where have I heard that before…?" I whispered to myself. This time, however, I wasn't interrupted. It didn't matter now! I had to kill this guy before he killed me! I was at the upper level which seemed more like a cosy looking attic. There was a large kite shield leaning against the intricately carved and polished stone wall. I picked up the shield and was surprised at how much it weighed. I grinned as I walked to the edge of the floor of the upper level, which was conveniently built right above the doorway to the cavern, and waited for my target. Speaking of which, he was really taking his time with this.

After a minute or two, I began to hear my evil twin approaching. I could almost feel his bloodlust, and hear his deranged chuckle echoed into the room. "…Run all you want…I will find you…and I will kill you…" I heard him say. It was unnerving to hear a voice identical to my own say such ruthless things. I could hear his footsteps now…almost there…

"…heh, heh, heh… run, run, run, as fast as you can…" he jeered in a sing-song tone. "…you can't hide from me…I'm Stryker the soulless Man! Ahahahahahaha!" Christ alive! Was this other me really this psychotic? He was just below me now. If I was going to do this, it was now or never! I jumped down, putting all of my weight into the pointed corner of the kite shield as I fell.

There was a loud crack, and the evil me went down instantly. He was limp and lifeless…I killed him. I took his life!…**I** took a human life! I dropped to my knees, prodding his lifeless form with the bloodied corner of the shield…no response. I…relieved him of his weapons in case there was anything else I had to fight. After I claimed the two daggers, I turned back to my twin to see the rotted zombie in his place. A strange dark blue mist rose from his remains.

Suddenly I felt a pair of arms wrap around me. "…I was right to pick you..." the girl said, Once again sounding sultry and seductive. "…You possess a warrior's heart… Enough games…" she sounded serious now. "I brought you here for more important reasons then entertainment." She held my shoulders and turned me to face her.

She was breath taking…beautiful…and… my face turned bright red as I noticed the outfit that she wore. It was blood-stained black robes with red accents. But they opened slightly at the chest and below the sash that bound it, so I could see a generous amount of cleavage. Her eyes were red irises against pitch black. A pair of small devil-like horns protruded from her hair. Bat-like wings grew out of her back, a devil-like tail protruded from her bottom. Her skin was fair and flawless. She reached up and touched my face. Her fingertips tipped with sharp, pointed claws. She stroked my cheek gently. "I'm sure your wondering why I'd brought you here." She stated. I nodded in response.

"What the hell happened? How did I get here? Who the hell was that? Who the hell are you?" I demanded, beginning to lose my composure. "I want answers, now!"

The woman smirked. "oooh yeah…get nice and mad…show me some anger" My face went red. Did this woman have no decency?

I glared at her, blushing. "…are you really so depraved?" I asked bluntly. She only laughed.

"Hahahahah…I used to be all angels and halos, hun. However, my teachings were abandoned as soon as I died" she said. "my contempt towards those who let prejudice rule their lives caused me to mutate into a demon. I once went by the name Spritua."

I nodded, and waited for her to continue. She looked back up at me. Her eyes watered. "There are few who have rekindled my faith in mortals, but…" she trailed off.

I knew where this was going. "…But the damage has been done, and you're stuck here?" I more stated then asked. Spiritua nodded in response.

Spiritua smiled at me. "That's where you come in!" she chirped. I rolled my eyes."You lost your life before you were supposed to and now you are eligible for reincarnation. I salvaged your soul because you posses a very rare sense of honour and compassion that is very hard to come by, no matter what realm you were born in."

I had to admit, I was beginning to get interested in the subject. "So what's the catch? Do you want me to save the people that you were talking about?" I asked but then something clicked in my head. She said that the other me was a bandit from a place called Palmacosta. I know that name from a videogame called…oh hell no! this can't be real! She said her name was Spiritua? That's from the same game! This is Tales of Symphonia! I'm going to live in Tales of Symphonia!

Spiritua's voice snapped me from my rapidly derailing train of thought. "You put this together pretty quickly. Yes. The worlds known as Sylvarant and Tethealla both indeed exist." She stated. "I'll put you in just in time to join the famous regeneration journey, with the chosen who will bring about the end of the era that I and many others sacrificed ourselves in vain for the last four thousand years." She was very serious now. "Harvest the corrupted souls that I have marked as my sacrifices and banish them to me." She said sagely. "One of these souls…well I'm sure you know who it is…"

"…Mithos…the leader of the desians…" I answered

She placed her open palm over my left eye. "Keep this eye covered. When you find an enemy who seems beyond salvation, uncover this eye and look at them. If their aura is black, then recite this incantation. "Hounds of hell, come to the land of the living and claim this black hearted soul: Damnation!"

"Got it." I said with a shrug. "So, which world are you sending me to? Sylvarant?" she nodded.

"You're going to relive the life that your counterpart left behind, but hopefully, you make more honourable decisions then he did. You will find the spell I just told you of in a tome kept by Koton of Hakonesia peak. How you get a hold of it, I'll leave that up to you."

I sighed. "Make this as difficult as you can for me…" I said sarcastically. She grinned, but said nothing.

A strange rumbling emanated throughout the chamber around us. "oops, it looks like it's time for you to get started." She said with a smile and a wave.

I tried to jump, but my feet were stuck in place. What? I wasn't scared enough for that. I looked down. "What the hell?" My feet were being sucked into the ground! I was sinking into the frickin ground! "Why the hell…?" A sharp impact to my head cut me off. I was instantly enveloped in darkness.

Several sensations assaulted my senses at once, throbbing in my head, the smell of salt water, and a combination of dampness and coldness. Like when you get that rush of cold air when you leave the bathroom after a hot bath or shower? Kinda like that.

With my head still pounding, I struggled into a sitting position. My vision was blurry on one side, the other side was still just blackness. The left eye, which Spiritua had told me to keep covered, was indeed covered by a worn old bandanna pulled down over it. With my vision returning to what it should be, I took in my surroundings. I appeared to be looking out to sea. I looked over to my side and saw that I was sitting on some kind of stone carved pier. Behind me was a staircase, I recognized this area. I looked to my left and saw the bridge that crossed into Palmacosta town square.

I looked down at myself and saw that I was wearing the same clothes as my evil twin had. Just as I thought of him, numerous new memories flooded my head. I was now a bounty hunter. I had collected over a dozen government bounties for Governor General Dorr. I stood up and walked up from the docks and into the city of Palmacosta…which was a lot bigger in real life then the videogame made it look.

I looked down at my attire again, which consisted of a worn vest that looked like Lloyd's Jacket, accept black and sleeveless. I could feel various items hidden underneath the vest as well as in the pockets. As I went through them I discovered a collection of throwing knives, a clear glass spike hidden in each gauntlet, and some small cherry bombs. I was pretty much the ninja of Sylvarant!...cool…

As I continued walking, a robed pastor approached. "Oh, excuse me, Mr. Stryker!" he called. He was an older man, seemed about in his late forty's. "I'm so sorry to bother you Mr. Stryker…but I'd like to employ your services, if you're interested."

I shrugged. "…Walk with me. Give me the details…" I said plainly. So we walked.

The pastor cleared his throat. "The task that I would ask of you is of great importance, and involves the day of prophecy, which is only a week away…" he said, and then was silent.

I smirked. So this is how I get roped into the journey, huh? "I'm intrigued, pastor. Tell me more."

The pastor grinned. "Marvellous! What we'd like you to do is procure the book of regeneration and deliver it to the chosen." He stated. "All you have to do is speak with Governor General Dorr to get the book."

I rubbed the bridge of my nose, pretending to be slightly agitated. "…and the fact that the chosen is all the way in Iselia means no never mind to you…?" I more stated then asked. The man seemed to get a little nervous. "…don't worry. I'll do it. This is just going to be the biggest job I've ever taken…" I looked around to see that we were now on the main docks of the port. "well, I will go have a word with the governor general and see what I can do…"

The pastor waved as we parted ways. I walked back into the city square, passing some vaguely familiar faces as I walked. They seemed to recognize me as well as they waved at me as I passed. I turned toward the…could you really call it a legislature? Well…The governor's building…how about that? Anyway…so I opened the door to see the governor general in his usual spot. The man looked up. "…ah, Mr. Stryker…I'm afraid I have no work for you at present. Unless you're here for something else…?"

I smiled at the man. "Actually, as it happens, I have taken on a job, and I'd like some assistance." I said with my hands in my pockets.

Governor general Dorr seemed slightly surprised as he leaned in close. "…Have you by any chance…come across…?"

I knew what he was going to ask. One of my new memories told me that I had excepted the job of hunting down the cure for Clara's…condition. "Still nothing but rumours, I'm afraid…" I confirmed. "I have a lead though…apparently there is a healing arte that can be found in the tower of mana." I realised that I was going on a tangent and remembered the reason for my visit. "…back to the reason for my visit…"

"…yes…?"

"The pastors at the church of Martel have hired me to collect the book of regeneration and deliver it to the chosen herself. That means I'll need the book, and passage to Izoold on a ship." I stated.

The Governor General stroked his beard thoughtfully. "…That's a tall order, Mr. Stryker…but after everything you've done for the city of Palmacosta, I think I can provide." I smiled as Dorr handed me an ancient looking book, and began to write something down. "That's the book of regeneration…" he informed me. "Take this to Captain Gabriel on the docks, and he'll take you to Izoold. He always wears his navy coat, so he should be easy to find."

"My thanks, Governor general. I'd best be off then." I saluted before leaving the building and heading to the docks. Time to get this party started!

To be continued…

Well, what do you think? My first attempt at a Tales of Symphonia fic, so no flames please. Constructive criticism welcomed…but not flames. My rogue is supposed to be kind of Assassin's creed based in fighting style, with main weapons as well as several hidden wepons that would be learned as artes as the game progresses. Please read and review!


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